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WOMEN IN ENGINEERING R-Eco is the ideal solution when condensate returns are high and do not


allow the use of conventional economisers to recover heat from the flue gas


DOES THE FUTURE BURN BRIGHT?


The 23rd June marked International Women in Engineering Day. Here, Babcock Wanson celebrates the work of two women engineers in driving combustion technology to accommodate new fuel types and reduce environmental impact


burners generate two types of unwanted by- products: CO2 and pollutants in the form of methane, sulphur and nitrogen oxides. Reducing both, without negatively impacting the burner’s efficiency, has been a focus of recent work at Babcock Wanson, along with substituting fossil fuels with alternative energies. At the core of the development of these technologies are two senior engineers: Delphine Morel-Chevillet, Burners Product Line Manager and Cecilia Sebastiani, Product Technology & Innovation Manager. Limiting NOx in burners is straightforward:


V


you increase the amount of air. However, this decreases efficiency. To improve efficiency, you preheat the combustion air, but this increases the flame temperature and the production of NOx. It seems to be something of a catch 22 situation. “A number of people have said that it doesn't make sense, that you can’t both limit NOx emissions and optimise the efficiency of the boiler,” commented Sebastiani. “Since efficiency and nitrogen oxide containment are really antagonists, it's just that you must find an optimum point which delivers the best solution for both. Also, efficient combustion is not only energy saving and money saving, it's also CO2 saving and, of course, we have to reduce the carbon footprint. This is the greatest challenge we have faced.” At Babcock Wanson, a new approach has


been taken that is based around a flue gas recirculation system (FGR), developed by Morel-Chevillet and her team. “Gas recirculation, where we inject through gas and the burner, is very well known, but what we are doing that is unique is that we inject it back into the boiler,” said Morel-Chevillet. “Because


5 JUNE 2022 | PROCESS & CONTROL 6


irtually all forms of manufacturing require a heat process, provided by a burner and a boiler. However, industrial


Cecilia Sebastiani Delphine Morel- Chevillet


we are the only company that designs and manufactures burners and boilers, we are the only company that can do this; we have a unique advantage!” Two innovative solutions have emerged


from this work to date. The R-Eco solution is a combustion air preheater that recovers heat from the combustion fumes and uses an FGR system. This technology increases both the overall efficiency of the boiler up to 98%, and reduces the formation of NOx emissions in the flue gas. The second solution is the Good Loop


concept. Good Loop extracts the flue gases at the boiler outlet before reinjecting the recycled gases directly into the furnace, upstream of the refractory block, thanks to an additional dedicated fan. This directly reduces NOx emissions from Babcock Wanson natural gas boilers by 20-30mg/Nm3


. Babcock Wanson’s


Optimo 2 burner, for example, designed for medium size firetube Steam Boilers ranging from 2 to 4t/h, has emission rates in standard form that are less than 100mg/Nm3


NOx


throughout the firing range when burning natural gas. The Good Loop technology is not only being used in new Babcock Wanson systems, it can also be applied to an existing burner and improve its performance without any design changes. Alternative Fuels: The options One of the


major stumbling blocks in replacing fossil fuels with more sustainable alternatives is the infrastructure to deliver them. In the case of biomethane, the existing distribution networks and equipment can be utilised. Standard biogas, on the other hand, requires adaptations and quality control (moisture content, existence of hydrogen sulphide). When it comes to hydrogen, however, its technical characteristics (density, PCI, etc.) are quite different from those of natural gas, so its distribution and combustion require infrastructure and equipment adaptations. Looking at the emissions for these different fuel types, biogas and biomethane fuelled


combustion produces the same emissions as that of natural gas. The combustion of hydrogen no longer produces CO2 but simply water vapour, so scores big points when it comes to emissions. Where the reverse is currently true, is when it


comes to production methods. Biogas and biomethane can be produced by methanisation of organic waste matter. Hydrogen production, on the other hand, is mainly the result of polluting petrochemical processes. ‘Green’ hydrogen, produced using processes that use electricity from renewable sources, isn’t currently widely available. In anticipation of use of emerging alternative


fuels, Babcock Wanson burners have been designed to operate with one or more of these new types of fuel. In the case of hydrogen, the burners can incorporate a significant proportion of hydrogen in addition to traditional gas fuels. 100% hydrogen solutions are also available, although these require a bespoke combustion head for each project. This flexible approach to fuel is, Sebastiani


believes, vital: “What is key for the future is the possibility to change and combine fuels. Even now, with the energy shortages industry is experiencing, we are receiving a lot of requests to add multiple fuel sources to our existing machines.” Morel-Chevillet concurs: “I don't think the future will be one solution. I think it's going to be a ‘plus’ solution.” Morel-Chevillet and Sebastiani are already


working on the next phase of burner develop- ment. Why do they think there are so women like them in engineering? “Women are working five hours more than men outside from the job,” said Sebastiani. “That's just unfair because the familiar loads, every load, must be shared...” “Our schools need to put engineering as a


real choice for girls and communicate more, explain the different types of engineering jobs and why they are exciting,” said Morel-Chevillet.


Babcock Wanson www.babcock-wanson.com


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